DeafRead as platform for activism

By Tayler Mayer Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

It’s been amazing to watch traffic over the last few days. Traffic rose. It is clear to me why it did—the Audism Free America (AFA) protests.

Because DeafRead, the site, is neutral, this post wasn’t written in support or opposition of the recent AFA activity. The aggregator, however, is proud to serve as a platform on which such activism was carried. DeafRead believes that through individual expression, blogging can be an effective tool for advocacy and change. DeafRead achieves this platform by collecting blogs into a central place, empowering them to reach greater audiences. This is why DeafRead was built.

The last few days is yet more evidence that when the deaf community breathes, DeafRead wakes. Blogs on DeafRead, a mass media tool, ignites others into action, and educates for more awareness. As activism increases in the deaf blogosphere, readers are drawn. We have seen this time and time again: with each campaign for change, DeafRead traffic spikes. Somehow by unseen forces, readers are gravitated to DeafRead at these important times. That or word-of-mouth.